MEMS optical switch device

Abstract

A MEMS optical switch device is disclosed that includes an optical system deflecting and outputting light signals; first and second test light generation parts generating and feeding first and second test lights to specific input and output ports, respectively, of the optical system; first and second divergence parts diverging the first and second test lights, respectively, from the optical system; first and second monitoring parts detecting the diverged first and second test lights, respectively; and an operational check part causing the first and second test lights to be incident on output and input deflection parts of the optical system by driving a specific input deflection part corresponding to the specific input port and a specific output deflection part corresponding to the specific output port, respectively, and performing an operational check on the output and input deflection parts from the light levels of the detected first and second test lights, respectively.

1 . A micro electro mechanical systems optical switch device, comprising:
 an optical system configured to deflect light signals input from a plurality of input ports thereof with a plurality of input deflection parts and a plurality of output deflection parts on a channel-by-channel basis, and to output the light signals from a plurality of output ports thereof;   a first test light generation part configured to generate first test light and feed the first test light to at least one specific input port of the input ports of the optical system;   a first divergence part configured to diverge the first test light fed from the optical system, the first divergence part being provided for each of the output ports of the optical system;   a first monitoring part configured to detect the first test light diverged by the first divergence part;   a second test light generation part configured to generate second test light and feed the second test light to at least one specific output port of the output ports of the optical system;   a second divergence part configured to diverge the second test light fed from the optical system, the second divergence part being provided for each of the input ports of the optical system;   a second monitoring part configured to detect the second test light diverged by the second divergence part; and   an operational check part configured to cause the first test light to be incident on the output deflection parts one after another by driving a specific one of the input deflection parts corresponding to the at least one specific input port, and perform an operational check on the output deflection parts from a light level of the first test light detected by the first monitoring part; and to cause the second test light to be incident on the input deflection parts one after another by driving a specific one of the output deflection parts corresponding to the at least one specific output port, and perform an operational check on the input deflection parts from a light level of the second test light detected by the second monitoring part.   
   
   
       2 . The micro electro mechanical systems optical switch device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the operational check part causes the first test light to be incident on one or more unused ones of the output deflection parts one after another in performing the operational check on the output deflection parts, and causes the second test light to be incident on one or more unused ones of the input deflection parts one after another in performing the operational check on the input deflection parts. 
   
   
       3 . The micro electro mechanical systems optical switch device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the operational check part comprises a feedback control part configured to perform feedback control of a deflection control amount on the output deflection parts so that the light level of the first test light detected by the first monitoring part is maximized at a time of causing the first test light to be incident on the output deflection parts one after another by driving the specific one of the input deflection parts corresponding to the at least one specific input port, and to perform feedback control of a deflection control amount on the input deflection parts so that the light level of the second test light detected by the second monitoring part is maximized at a time of causing the second test light to be incident on the input deflection parts one after another by driving the specific one of the output deflection parts corresponding to the at least one specific output port. 
   
   
       4 . The micro electro mechanical systems optical switch device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the operational check part determines that a corresponding one of the output deflection parts is out of order if a difference between a level of the first test light at a time of the generation thereof in the first test light generation part and the level of the first test light detected by the first monitoring part is out of a first acceptable range, and determines that a corresponding one of the input deflection parts is out of order if a difference between a level of the second test light at a time of the generation thereof in the second test light generation part and the level of the second test light detected by the second monitoring part is out of a second acceptable range. 
   
   
       5 . The micro electro mechanical systems optical switch device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first test light generation part feeds the first test light to two or more specific ones of the input ports of the optical system. 
   
   
       6 . The micro electro mechanical systems optical switch device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second test light generation part feeds the second test light to two or more specific ones of the output ports of the optical system. 
   
   
       7 . The micro electro mechanical systems optical switch device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the first test light and the second test light is of a specific wavelength.